Question

How is cigarette smoke related to respiratory and circulatory problems?

Answer 1

Cigarette smoking is usually and almost always injurious to health. It affect all the systems of body, especially affecting respiratory and circulatory system.

The nicotine in the tobacco which is the main ingredient of the cigarette is producing its worst effects through the smoke. It impairs the ciliary activity of the respiratory pathways. Normal respiratory pathway is lined by pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium. Its function is adversely affected by the cigarette smoke leads to retention of secretions inside the lungs and development of diseases like bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease etc.

The same smoke can also cause some alterations in the arterial wall that leads to increased inflammatory reaction and fibrosis leading to the occlusion of arteries. Hence it can results in diseases like thromboangitis obliterans .